In this week's news: The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 was introduced, Rabobank reports increasing milk production costs, and consumers are moving away from plant-based beverages.

During the farm crisis of the 1980s, the term “cash flow is king” drove home the importance of using cash flow to pay debt. That’s still important as we continue to ride the cycles of the industry, but a projection of earnings is equally important. As the calendar transitions to 2025, diving into the question of “why both?” becomes a point of discussion.

In the news as we approach the middle of December, a federal committee upholds dairy dietary guidelines, dairy farmers are invited to apply for financial incentives to implement climate-smart practices, farm income falls $41 billion in two years, and the first HPAI-positive dairy case is found in Nevada.

• Requirement for electronic ID tags now in effect
• Utah becomes 15th state with HPAI in dairy, following mandatory surveillance
• GDT index up 4.8%
• November FSA interest rates continue to low
• Farmer sentiment bounced back in October

The USDA’s World Ag Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report offers forecasts for dairy, beef and feedstuffs.